The signs are that, despite
obvious reservations, the
Bahrain Grand Prix will go ahead.
At the Royal Automobile Club on
London’s Pall Mall this week, some
of the Formula One media were
wined and dined by a Bahraini
delegation charged with asserting
that the 2012 Bahrain Grand Prix
would go off without a hitch.
“There are disturbances [in
Bahrain], and they are youths
who need to be handled and led
in a proper and right way,” said
Sheikh Abdullah bin Isa Al Khalifa,
president of the Automobile
Federation of Bahrain and that
country’s representative on the
FIA’s World Motor Sport Council.
“They need to know if they have
concerns, problems, there are
proper channels and procedures
that can deal with them. They
will not achieve their goals by
disrupting the lives of family,
friends, neighbours, or anybody
who comes to the country...
“Yes, the events of February
14 last year (the Day of Rage)
inflamed matters, but we've
never had an issue with Formula
One, which has been visiting our
country since 2004. People keep
asking me about Bahrain, and
I appreciate their apprehension,
but anybody who has been there
before and comes now will see
there is no difference.
"It is why I'm hoping for the race
to come as quickly as possible,
just to let this [F1] community see
and feel what is really going on in
Bahrain. I know all eyes are on us,
but for me I feel there is a buzz
going on in the country to rally
around Formula One.
“So my message to Formula One
is 'be part of unifying my country',”
Al Khalifa concluded. “We've had
our share of trouble, people have
made mistakes, but it is time to
reconcile, to move on and come
out stronger and more united.”
But despite the confidence so
apparent on Pall Mall, the gossips
are now whispering that the race
will be called off at the last minute.
According to reports in Germany,
the teams all have plan-Bs for staff
and freight alike in the event of a
cancellation.
The gossips have been saying as
much for months.
In Jerez, during the first week of
pre-season testing, the story doing
the rounds of the paddock was
that the Bahrain Grand Prix had
already been called off, and would
be replaced by a race in Turkey one
week after the proposed Sakhir
event.
Formal announcements were
not made so that FOM, FIA, and
Bahrain itself could all save face
with a last-minute cancellation
agreed upon by all parties. Or so
the story went.
One of the signs that the race is
very much on came via Christian
Sylt, one of Bernie Ecclestone’s
favoured journalists. Sylt this week
issued a press release relating to
one of his business interests in
which he asserted that the Bahrain
Grand Prix is the most profitable
event on the F1 calendar.
As Sylt rarely publishes without
Ecclestone’s direct influence,
the timing of his press release
was seen by many as official
confirmation of the Bahrain race,
irrespective of the charm offensive
that was under way at the RAC ...
BAHRAIN IS GO, GO, GO! ...
... despite rumours of last-minute cancellation
EARLY
BIRD
TICKETS NOW
ON SALE
SINGAPORE
MARINA BAY
STREET CIRCUIT
+65 6738 6738
PHONE BOOKING:
www.singaporegp.sg
ONLINE BOOKING:
212223
SEPTEMBER 2012
Scan this code
for event details
EARLY BIRD BUYERS STAND TO WIN EXCLUSIVE DRIVERS' AUTOGRAPH
SESSION PASSES, ACCESS TO ARTIST MEET & GREET SESSIONS AND
FAN ZONE WRISTBANDS
ENJOY UP TO 30% SAVINGS! LIMITED COMBINATION
PACKAGES AND GREAT SAVINGS WITH GROUP
BOOKINGS OF 4 OR MORE TICKETS NOW AVAILABLE
3 DAYS OF NON-STOP
RACE ACTION ALSO FEATURING
AND
MANY MORE
GPWeek.pdf 1 3/16/12 3:40 PM
7
GPWEEK.com //
PARTNERS:
F1 >>> NEWS